


shallow

by medixnoche



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: And Parentheses, Canonical Child Abuse, Drug Addiction, Klaus Hargreeves Deserves Better, Klaus Hargreeves Needs A Hug, M/M, No Incest, Vietnam War, also because that is ABSOLUTELY a klave song, also uhh, because klave, cannot believe i have to tag that, cause it's klaus, do i have to tag child abuse for this series?? yes, do not worry about the major character death thing it is just ben and maybe dave, he's going through a hard time, liberal use of commas, so that's how this is being planned out, this is based off of shallow by bradley cooper and lady gaga, this took way too long to write
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-19
Updated: 2019-10-19
Packaged: 2020-03-09 12:02:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18916597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/medixnoche/pseuds/medixnoche
Summary: He was just a kid when he first tried it.klaus’s journey through drug addiction and finding his way out





	shallow

**Author's Note:**

> i just wanted to try something new!! i’ve never actually written angst this seriously before so,, who better to test it out on that klaus amirite ladies hahaha
> 
> anyway please like and subscribe and BLEASE COMMENT

He was just a kid when he first tried it.

 

Eleven, to be exact. 

 

Well, picture this: it’s the night before Halloween, and your adoptive father wants to try something out. What if the veil between the living and the dead is thinner on holidays like Halloween?

 

Well, guess what!

 

He was right.

 

The ghosts in the mausoleum were louder than ever, and sometimes, maybe if you were unlucky enough to see them, the ghosts could become corporeal. Only for a fraction of a second, but hey, progress!

 

Now, picture another thing: the same adoptive father decides to leave you in the mausoleum (on _HALLOWEEN NIGHT_ , you know, when the veil is thinnest) and leaves you there for almost an entire afternoon. Completely different scenario, right?

 

Especially if your power is to see ghosts.

 

Klaus was at his weakest on Halloween. Nights, in general, are hard enough, but being locked in a mausoleum full of dead people, at night, on a holiday that had everything to do with ghosts and monsters was just a huge bonus point to his weakness. 

 

Of course, Reggie only cares about extending his power. He doesn’t care about his own children.

 

Well, adopted children, but children nonetheless.

 

Currently, Klaus was in the mausoleum, back pressed against the wall (makes him feel safer. There’s nothing behind him), hands covering his face, and what feels like every ghost he has ever had the pleasure of meeting are screaming at him. Every once in awhile, Klaus would look up, just to see if it was over, but all he would see is a pack of mauled faces directly in front of him, yelling like their lives depended on it.

 

(Well, not like their _lives_ depended on it, they are dead, but whatever.)

 

A few hours later (maybe four, and Klaus had been in there for about seven wait holy shit _eleven hours??_ ) Dad opened the creaky mausoleum door, overdramatic as ever, saying what he always says;

 

“Are you ready to return to the land of the living, Number Four?” Wow. You’d think that after multiple sessions doing this exact same thing, he’d be more creative.

 

Well, that’s what Klaus wished he could say.

 

Instead, he just nodded, not being able to say much else (screaming for several hours straight will do that to you). Dad just looked back at him and turned his back. He left the door open, and Klaus took that as an invitation to follow him back to the Academy. 

 

The walk back was silent. Klaus couldn’t say anything, his voice too hoarse, and Reginald was carrying himself with that stiff posture that meant he felt he was too great for anything or anyone.

 

(Well, he always carries himself like that, Klaus doesn’t know what he expected.)

 

When they finally arrived at the Academy, everything was pitch black, only lit by the slivers of moonlight from uncovered windows. Luther, Diego, Allison, Five, Ben, and Vanya were all (probably, knowing Diego is most likely up late again) sound asleep. Mom was sitting peacefully, looking up at the portraits while charging her batteries for the night, and God knows where Pogo is.

 

Reginald reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a ring with a large number of keys hanging from it. He took a second to find the one to open the front doors, and when he finally did, jammed them into the keyhole and opened the door. The pair snuck in as silently as possible, as to not disturb anyone (which they probably wouldn’t have, this place is huge), and Reginald whispered quiet instructions to Klaus.

 

“Now, you are to go directly to bed,” he explained. “Do not disturb any of your siblings, and Grace will wake you at the same time as your siblings. Is that understood, Number Four?” Klaus nodded once more, a raspy “yessir” coming from his throat. He sneaked up the flights of stairs as fast as he could. Once he reached the bedroom door, he turned the doorknob, as to not make the lock click loudly, and opened the door.

 

Klaus’s room was soundproofed, so once he was inside he didn’t have to worry about making noise (as long as he didn’t bang on the walls or floor too hard). He did as his dad said, only getting changed and brushing his teeth before climbing into the small bed. 

 

(It was in the corner of his room. He can only be surrounded on one side.)

 

As soon as his head hit the pillow, Klaus passed out. 

 

About three hours later, a soft knock at his door woke him up. He heard Mom’s muffled voice through the door, saying something along the lines of “Good morning, Klaus! Please be downstairs in thirty minutes!”

 

Klaus sat up groggily in his bed, back against the wall. He rubbed his eyes, yawning, and slid off the bed. He made eye contact with Adelaide, a sweet girl from Victorian England who died of smallpox at age ten, and said good morning. Adelaide was one of the only ghosts who has actually nice to Klaus. Maybe it was because she was a kid, or maybe it was something else, but right now, it wasn’t Klaus’s priority.

 

He walked to the bathroom he shared with Luther and Diego (Five and Ben also shared one, but Allison and Vanya each had their own), and splashed cold water on his face once he reached the sink. He opened a drawer, took out a toothbrush and toothpaste, and began brushing his teeth. He saw Diego come in through his door, mutter a “morning, Klaus”, and headed to the other sink. Klaus nodded at him, grabbed a towel, and headed to one of the bathrooms that had a shower. There was not enough time for a bath, and frankly, Klaus didn’t feel clean enough for one. On his way out, he saw Luther, who also said hello, albeit a bit more awake, and head into the bathroom Diego was in. Klaus reached the other bathroom door and went into the shower.

 

About ten minutes later, he exited the shower to go to his room. He tied the towel around his waist, grabbed another one for his hair, and set off to go change into the uniform. After that, he knocked on Ben’s door, wanting to talk to him before going down to meet the monster. Ben opened the door, book in hand (this week it was ‘ _Carrie’_ by Stephen King), and walked out of the room. 

 

The brothers walked down the stairs, making their way to the regal dining room to have breakfast. Klaus knew that Dad was going to an important meeting today, so they would probably have the day off of training.

 

He was proved right when he and Ben arrived at the dining room and Reginald wasn’t there. Instead, Mom was standing by his seat, waving at each one of the siblings that came into the room. The only one currently missing was Five, who was most likely pestering Dad about the time travel thing again. 

 

Klaus and Ben stood behind their chairs, waiting for Dad to come and tell them to sit. Soon enough, he and Five showed up together, and Klaus gripped his chair a little tighter.

 

“Sit,” Dad commanded, and all of the kids did so. Mom came by, asking them if they wanted, and Klaus had to stop himself from saying ‘Some goddamn rest would be just dandy’.

 

Once they all finished, Dad stood up and announced that he would be at a meeting for the day and that they would all have a day off. Klaus could feel the excitement radiating off of his siblings. Dad left the table, and they almost immediately started talking. Klaus caught bits and pieces, like “I’m gonna go to the library for the day, research is important,”, and “Maybe Pogo will let us go out! I need to get some new things for our next photoshoot,”, and “I’ll be spending the day training, by myself,”. Klaus looked forwards, meeting Ben’s eye. 

 

“Uh…” Klaus muttered. “So, what do you think you’re gonna do, Ben?” Said brother marked his page in _Carrie_ , and stared directly at Klaus.

 

“Klaus, where were you last night?” Ben asked, and Klaus tensed up. “This is the fourth time it’s happened, and I’m starting to feel like I should be worried about you.” Klaus just smiled at his brother.

 

“Nothing you have to worry about, Benny-boy!” he said. “It’s just some extra training Dad’s making me do. It kinda sucks, but hey, what are you gonna do?” Ben stared at him for a second, concern still etched on his face, but he eventually gave up and turned away from Klaus, who let out a silent sigh. He really wished he could tell Ben, but only God (who Klaus was starting to doubt even existed) knows what Dad might do to him if he got his siblings all worried.

 

But for now, all he could do is try to find a way around it.

**Author's Note:**

> i still need to write chapters 2-5 wow how fun


End file.
